I'm considering moving from the Midwest and I am looking for advice on great places to move to. Here are some of my preferences:
1 - Lots of outdoor activities. Hiking, and just about anything else.
2 - I love the mountains, but don't think I could handle a long cold winter. Not sure. If I could ski all winter I may change my mind.
3 - I love the beach.
4 - I don't think I would want to live in an apartment, or condo. I like my space and would like to be able to afford a small house. So CA is probably out to the question.
5 - I like to go the city to do things, but places like Chicago are too busy for me to live there permanently...I think.
6 - I'm in the insurance field, w/ a human relations background, but wouldn't mind considering other fields. So the place I move would need to have good employment opps, and access to Univerities. (perpetual student)
7 - Low crime
8 - I know we can't escape the taxman, but lower taxes would be great.
9 - I love to cook, and eat. So great culinary places would be great too.

Any advice?
Thanks!

Portland, Seattle or somewhere in between on the I5 corridor. You'd be close to the mountains. The weather is milder than in the Midwest. Beaches are a little far and swimming is out.

The Denver metro area will met many of your criteria

1. 9 --500 miles of bike trails in the metro, sking, hiking -- hard to beat

2. 7 -- Denver is not in the mountains. Long cold winters are not common. But with low humidity and intense sun in the winter months, it does not seen as cold as the damp, gray winters of the midwest. We bicycle in Denver 12 months a year.

3. 0 -- No beaches but cheap airfare to beaches. But we do have a lot of water in lakes, and streams.

4. 7 -- Housing is not as cheap as the south and some other areas but much better than than the west and east coasts. With a little effort, good value can be found.

5. 8 --- Denver has a great downtown area for activity, theater, dining, etc., for its size and is a good balance. A developing light rail and excellent public tranist but not for all areas at the moment. And prices are reasonable.

6a. ? -- Don't know. But our overall unemploymnet is low.

6b -- 9 -- Excellent educ opportunities between the Univ of Denver, Colorado Univ - Denver campus and several junior colleges around the metro area.

In general, Denver metro area is one of the youngest cities (average age) highest educated, and (I thni I remember correctly) the state is rated as the healthest state --- all that outdoor activity.

PS -- We don't have as much rain and overcast as you find in the NW and the snow for sking is far better.

I vote for Portland (and I don't live there, I live in San Francisco). Oregon's biggest downside is lack of funding for public education, but that isn't on your list. Portland is a very charming small big city, near the coast, easy access to skiing (which won't be as great as near Denver, but there are trade-offs), easy access to outdoor activities, less expensive housing than California, colleges and universities. And Oregon has no sales tax, right? Or is it no personal income tax?

Oregon does not have a sales tax but consequently their property rate is high so if you plan on buying a house do check into that Kassanna.

I have friends in the Portland area, but I haven't been there. The pictures are SO beautiful - but truly my one draw back is the real estate prices are a little scary coming from the midwest.

Denver has definitely been on my list as possibilities, as I have noticed insurance jobs in that area. If I could hike all year, and not freeze to death, that would be awesome - and afford a small house. Are they good about keeping the roads clear? I hate the icy driving in the midwest.

I've had a few people mention the Carolina's too - haven't been there either. Any info on the mountains in NC, and economics of the states?

Or New Mexico?

As a rough guideline, property taxes in CO are around 1% of property value. Mine are less. Icy roads are only a problem when it snows. And most snows are gone within a couple days due to the intense sun. We are no 1 in skin cancer --

Take the quiz at www.findyourspot.com. Also take a look at www.makingitinthecity.com
Both sites offer helpful info when making your decision!

Don't rule out NC. Sure do have mountains at one end and beach at the other, winters aren't cold or long, real estate is a heckuvalot cheaper than most of the Northwest. Charlotte has banking, Raleigh/Durham insurance, both are small cities. Restaurants both areas are great.

Thanks Sweettea for the links, fmpden for the Co. info, and definitely keeping NC in mind HKP. Its gonna be a tough decision. Employment and housing will be a big part of the decision, but definitely want to be where I am not now. No anything here, so wherever I go it'll be a plus!

The coastal regions of either Oregon or Washington states are exactly what you describe.

Portland! But then, I'm biased. I live in Beaverton.

You might want to research the cost of houses by doing a search on a real estate website. In the Portland metro area, the further out you go, the cheaper the homes will be. You might consider living close to the MAX line (the light rail). Several stops have a free park and ride lot, so even if you're in the suburbs, you can travel downtown via mass transit.

Raleigh or Charlotte

I'm also thinking of the Raleigh/Chapel Hill NC area. You really can drive to either the mountains or the beach and you are definitely near universities including UNC and Duke. The other place to consider that meets your criteria other than the mountains (how about hills) is the Austin area. Not sure what you considor affordable housing because Central Austin is expensive, however compared to other metro areas it is still cheaper. Crime here is on the rise, but you would be close to several major universities. Good luck.

You might consider Vancouver, WA, which is just across the river from Portland. Although Portland is largely a suburb of Portland, Washington has no personal income tax (as long as you work in Washington too, not Oregon), just as sales tax and property tax. And the housing market lately has slowed in Portland but even more in Vancouver. You might be able to find a bargain in the Vancouver housing market right now, if you are willing to deal.

The beach is not immediately nearby, though. It's just over an hour from Portland/Vancouver out to the beautiful Oregon coast. But there are tons of outdoor activities nearby. The winters are not warm but surely better than the Midwest. Maybe one brief snowstorm a year. Just a lot of gloomy winter days and rain.

I love it when people generalize about the south and housing being cheap.

Just like the rest of the US it is cheap in some places and expensive in others.

Kassanna, what about Virginia? Beautiful mountains and the beach plus great cities like Richmond, Roanoke, and Charlottesville. Also, depending upon where you live in the state, Washington DC is close by.

Agree with GoTravel -- Richmond fits your criteria. It's close to the mountains & beach, housing is reasonable, it's close to DC, and it has some good restaurants. the crime used to be high, but it was mainly inner-city crime, and I think it's gotten much better. As far as taxes, am not too sure. Good luck!

I believe that Kassanna was looking for ski mountians. Don't think there is much sking around Richmond.

Wintergreen is under two hours from Richmond and Snowshoe is under four hours from Richmond.

I'd say that is pretty close to some decent east coast skiing.